House destroyed following 2-alarm fire in Portland

PORTLAND — Portland fire crews will remain on the scene investigating after a 2-alarm fire destroyed a house.

Chief Robert Shea says that the fire was called in by a neighbor Thursday morning. When they arrived to the house on Murphy Road, they found a heavy fire engulfing the structure. The fire was practically through the roof.

The area is remote off of a private driveway, hampering the efforts of the crews since no water was available. They called in tankers from surrounding towns including Middletown, Glastonbury, and as far out as Haddam.

The house collapsed in on itself, causing more issues for fire crews, blocking the pockets of fire they need access to.

No injuries were reported since the homeowner was not home at the time. There were renovations going on at the home at the time.

Crews say they were initially concerned about icing from the tanker trucks, but the weather held out for them and no icing occured. However with the cold snap coming in for the weekend, they remind residents in remote areas to keep access to their homes clear in case of an emergency. They also are trained and prepared to battle any fires that may happen during the cold snap.

The State Fire Marshal will be on scene assisting with the investigation on how the fire started.